1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to ceramic glass cooking surfaces, and more particularly to a system and method of retrofitting existing cooktops and free-standing stoves with a ceramic glass cooking surface.
2. Related Art
Indoor cooking apparatus have evolved over the years from the open hearth, to wood or coal burning stoves, to more modern natural gas and electric cooktops and free-standing stoves. Microwave ovens, have also become popular for cooking.
While virtually all homes are supplied with electricity, there are many that are not supplied with natural gas. Even in homes that are supplied with natural gas, this fuel is often used only for space and water heating, rather than for cooking. Electric kitchen appliances such as free-standing stoves, cooktops and ovens can be installed and used in residential and non-residential settings alike, without the danger of gas leaks. The almost universal availability and convenience of electric power has resulted in the widespread use of electric cooktops. FIG. 1 shows a top view of a typical, well-known, electrical cooking apparatus.
Preparation of food at elevated temperatures, such as by frying or simmering, often transfers sufficient kinetic energy to small amounts of the food being prepared that these energetic portions are ejected from the pots or pans and fall onto the cooktop surface. When these food particles land on a burner element they can become "baked-on" and thus difficult to clean. When these food particles land in the well which is formed underneath the burner element, cleaning is again difficult as the burner element itself must be removed to gain access to soiled well region. 0f course, cleaning of the well must wait until the burner element has cooled sufficiently to be safely removed.
A conventional approach to this problem is a ceramic glass cooktop that is built-in as a unit in a new stove, or that is installed in a remodeled kitchen after the pre-existing cooktop has been removed. This type of surface is referred to as a "smoothtop" and is formed from a ceramic glass. Typically this ceramic glass is a commercially available material known as CERAN and manufactured by Schott Glaswerke, Hattenbergstrasse 10, Mainz, Germany. Three types of smoothtop, all of the built-in variety, are known today (see FIG. 2). These are the radiant smoothtop, the halogen smoothtop, and the magnetic-induction smoothtop.
However, it would be advantageous to have an easy to clean, cooking surface installed without having to remove the pre-existing cooktop. In other words, it would be advantageous to have a retrofit kit for an easy to clean cooking surface installation on an existing stove top.
What is needed is a method and apparatus for retrofitting existing cooktops with easy to clean surfaces.